Nightmares
by Unlisshed
Summary: A quirk in Saiyan Bonding has Vegeta sharing his nightmares with Bulma. What will she learn of his past and how will they deal with it? ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi! This idea funnily enough, came to me after having a dream about my fav couple. It's pushing the Saiyan bonding a bit further, having Bulma find herself in one of Vegeta's nightmares.

I know! There's still a story I still haven't finished, but I had to write this one before the idea escaped me. Have fun reading!

* * *

Bulma knew she was dreaming for three reasons.

The first, she had no idea where she was, besides the fact that it wasn't Earth. Out the nearest window, Bulma could see she was in outer space, the black emptiness was proof of that.

The second, she was staring at a face she wished she would never see again. The face of an evil killer, one she knew was dead. Her son had seen to that and she'd witnessed it herself. Frieza.

The tyrant wasn't staring at her, she was sure he didn't know she was there otherwise she'd be dead already. He was staring at a small boy standing at the center of the room.

He was the third reason. He stood tall in front of the monster that could annihilate him within a second, because his pride wouldn't allow anything less.

Vegeta.

There was no doubt in Bulma's mind. The hair, the eyes and the posture hadn't changed in the thirty odd years that had passed.

"So the little monkey wants to play a game?" She heard Frieza ask. The voice was very chilling, calm and almost casual but with an undeniable hint of malice in it. She shivered.

Vegeta didn't say anything but stood his ground. Bulma knew he was doing some very quick thinking. It was very unsettling to see the power this tyrant held over the boy version of Vegeta.

Without warning, Frieza shot two energy beams out of his eyes and they peirced Vegeta's shoulder. The boy sank to his knees for a second, not a sound escaping his lips as he got back up to his feet, clutching his shoulder.

Bulma felt a rage inside of her build up at this kind of ruthlessness. She had been scared before, but her anger had killed it and it was all she could do not to foolishly throw herself between Frieza and the young Vegeta.

The tyrant shot another energy beam at him but Vegeta was obviously expecting this one and dodged out of the way, straight into another one of Frieza's blasts. She cried out when it went through his other shoulder, nearly tearing his arm off.

Then the evil bastard laughed, the cruel nasal sound of it drilled through her skull.

It might have been the fact that the boy reminded her so much of her Trunks but without any rational thought or a sense of self preservation, she jumped at him. She just wanted to hurt Frieza badly.

She had nearly reached him when something stopped her, the force of it sending her sprawling in the opposite direction.

"What the hell are you doing you stupid woman?"

Bulma got up quickly, ignoring the pain her leg was suddenly in. That voice...

A full grown version of Vegeta was glaring at her with his arms crossed. Behind him the scene was still playing out, Frieza had his foot on the young Vegeta's neck, choking him.

"No!" Bulma yelled, attempting to push past Vegeta, hoping the dream to give her some kind of strength to actually do it.

Not a chance. He held her at bay, his face now a stone mask. "Calm down, it's just a memory. The boy won't die."

"It doesn't matter!" Bulma yelled, "I can't just watch!" She struggled to escape his hold on her, to somehow help the younger version of him.

Suddenly Vegeta let her go, and she ran towards Frieza, her hands reaching for his scrawny neck. Before she got there, the ugly red eyes turned towards her and she was on the ground...Fading...

* * *

Bulma woke up screaming. She stopped when she realised where she was. In the dark she could see she was back in her room, everything the way it was when she closed her eyes to sleep. A dream. She knew it had been a dream, but there had been an eerily real quality to it.

A memory, her Vegeta had said.

Her head whipped around to look at the other side of the bed, where she could feel the heat of his body next to hers. He was awake, staring at her.

"What the hell was that Vegeta?" She whispered, turning her body towards him.

He didn't answer but he looked at her with an expression she couldn't understand.

"What is it?" Bulma asked and her hand found his shoulder, her fingers stroking the muscles unconsciously.

Her touch seemed to break whatever train of thought was ruling his mind. "It was nothing." He said briskly but she knew him too well. It was the tone he used when he was hiding something of himself from her.

"It wasn't nothing, Vegeta! It was horrible." She thought back on the dream and the sense of hopelessness that, even now, still lingered. "Was it really a memory?"

"Yes." Was all he answered before drawing away from her, getting up. "I'm going to train." He said, going to the dresser and pulling his training shorts on.

"It's three in the morning!" She said, sitting up.

"So?" He marched to the door.

"Are you running away?" She demanded quietly, knowing he could hear her.

That stopped him. He turned towards her slowly and she was shocked to see how angry he was.

"What the hell do you want me to say, Bulma?" He yelled. "Yes it was a memory, but it wasn't even one of the worst ones!" He marched towards her, his dark eyes tormented but she didn't move. "You think that one was bad? You're damned lucky you didn't happen to stumble into last night's memory!"

Then all of the anger seemed to drain from him and he sat on the end of the bed, his hand running through his hair. "You don't want to know what I've been through and I don't want you to know." He looked across at her frozen figure, her eyes wide but fearless.

"I don't want to know, Vegeta. You've been through things hell couldn't think up. The fact that you still dream about it..." Bulma looked him in the eye as she let this sentence fade. "I want to know why this dream thing happened in the first place. It's sure as hell never happened before."

Vegeta didn't tell her that it had. He'd fallen into one of her dreams before. There was no pain or blood. No violence. Just her and him. He thought it had been a fluke, a very pleasant one.

"It's part of our bond. It's very similar to the mind reading in many ways, acting as a means to communicate." He told her.

"Can we stop it from happening again?"

He hesitated before answering. "I doubt it will. It's a rare occurrence but if it does and you're aware of it, you should be able to wake yourself up."

Bulma nodded slowly and a yawn escaped her lips. "I don't want to go to sleep yet," she said at his look. She knew if she went to sleep now, she'd have her own nightmares. She lent over and pulled him down onto the bed. "You are not going to train at this hour of the morning." She put a finger over his lips as he began to protest.

His brows pulled together in a frown and he moved her hand. "You will not order me around, woman."

"No, I'm pretty sure I can persuade you." Bulma whispered, placing her arms around his neck and pulling him to her until their lips met.

* * *

AN: There you go. It's not that long, but I like it. It's a good feeling to write something that so easy to write.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I decided I would set this six years after the Buu saga. Mostly because I really don't think this kind of story would work before it. I don't think Vegeta would open up to Bulma until after he'd admitted to himself just how much she means to him.

* * *

Bulma woke up in the morning feeling a little drained. It took her a few seconds to remember the events of the night before and looked to the other side of the bed, expecting to see her sleeping husband. She sat up when she realised he wasn't there.

She looked at the bedside clock, alarmed when she saw that it was almost midday. Bulma never slept in. She was strictly an early riser, being a mother demanded it. Why hadn't anyone woken her up?

Now that she was fully awake she could sense that Vegeta was in the Gravity Room and her children were downstairs. Being mated with a saiyan sure had it advantages, she thought for the millionth time as she got dressed.

She rushed downstairs eager to see her children.

"Mummy!" Bra rushed up to her, throwing herself into her mother's arms with surprising quickness. Bulma hugged the three year old fiercely.

"Hey baby girl."

Trunks looked up at her from the couch. She couldn't get used to the growth spurt he'd suddenly gone through and he was looking more like his future self every day. "Dad told us not to wake you because you had a rough night."

This surprised Bulma. Even after all these years she couldn't get used to the subtle changes in her husband. This random act of kindness from him made her smile and she looked down at her daughter, knowing she played a large part in that.

"Grandma's cooking lunch!" Bra piped up and they walked to the kitchen where Bulma's mother Bunny was cooking.

"Bulma, tell that gorgeous husband of yours that his lunch is ready." Bunny said and giggled. Bulma rolled her eyes at her oblivious mother and Bra looked up at them.

"I'll get Daddy!" She chirped and Bulma suppressed a laugh as her daughter skipped from the room. Bra was shockingly intelligent for her age, thanks to her parents and had figured out that when Vegeta wasn't in the Capsule Corp compound, he was usually in his Gravity Room. Bulma's laugh escaped when she remembered the deactivation button she recently added on the GR's exterior especially for Bra.

Sure enough, within five minutes her mate came charging into the room with his daughter perched on his shoulder. He put her down gently then turned to Bulma.

"What the hell have you done to my GR, woman?" Vegeta demanded.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked innocently.

"You know darn well what I mean."

Bulma had armed herself with a reason when she'd added the device. "I added a deactivation button in case anything ever happens. I want Bra to be able to get to you." She smirked inwardly. She knew she had this won, he was a pushover when it came to their daughter.

"Fine," he growled as he sat down at the table. "But I'll blast the thing if it's ever miss used."

Trunks walked in then sat at the table. Vegeta shot him an annoyed look. "You've grown weaker boy, so you'll be training with me this afternoon."

"But I'm going to Goten's this afternoon!"

"Kakarrot's brat can wait. Peace is no excuse to get lazy, don't you ever forget that."

Trunks scowled in an extraordinarily Vegeta way than began to eat, ignoring his father. It amazed Bulma the difference between Future Trunks and her Trunks. They may look the same but in personalities they were night and day.

* * *

The rest of the day past by fast and Bulma spent most of it in her lab, working on a new capsule. She'd put Bra and Trunks to bed in what seemed like not that long ago, so when she glanced at the clock, she was shocked to see it was almost midnight. Sleeping in had really thrown her day out.

She closed down the lab then wandered to Bra and Trunks's rooms, making sure they were asleep.

Then she continued onto her room. Vegeta was in bed already his eyes to the ceiling. Bulma got into her pyjama's then climbed into bed next to him, resting her head on his bare chest.

She listened to his steady heartbeat and it shuffled slightly when she hugged him. "Thanks for this morning." She murmured.

He just grunted. She could tell he was doing some serious thinking and when she tried to reach his thoughts, he blocked her.

Bulma frowned and sat up, looking at him. "What's wrong?"

His eyes locked on to hers. "Nothing of your concern," was all that he said but she saw something in his eyes before he could hide it from her. He was worried.

She knew instantly what he was worried about, she didn't need to read his mind for that. He was worried that she would be stuck in his dreams again.

She shuddered as the memory came back to her. Vegeta had said that it wasn't even one of the worst ones but she didn't think it could it could get much worse than watching a child getting tortured.

Vegeta suddenly sat up, his face furious. "It can get a _lot_ worse than that woman! Do you forget so easily? I used to kill for the _fun_ of it!"

That's when she realised he was worried she would see the awful things he had done.

Bulma wasn't naive, she knew that her husband had done many evil things in his life but she also knew how the innocent lives he had ended haunted him. He never would tell her that but she'd seen it in his mind when she caught him off guard.

"That's not you anymore Vegeta." Bulma said quietly.

He scoffed. "I did it only six years ago! I nearly even killed _you_!"

She remembered. Occasionally she still had nightmares about it.

"Stop it, Vegeta, that wasn't you either! You proved that to me when you sacrificed yourself for us. Maybe _you_ forget that I heard you that day!" Her blue eyes flashed painfully. "I won't stop loving you if I happen to see some awful thing you done years ago. I didn't six years ago and I never will!"

How could he not know how she felt about him?

Vegeta's face betrayed no emotion at the end of her tirade. He just watched the conviction in her feirce gaze. Then so fast she wasn't even sure how it happened, Bulma found herself trapped beneath him and she gasped when she saw the emotions he finally let her see in his ebony eyes. "Vegeta..."

He cut her off by kissing her feircely, his hands in her hair, pulling her closer.

Of course he knew how she felt, he felt the exact same way.

* * *

_No, not again! _Bulma thought when she found herself once again in the same room as the night before. She looked around hoping to see the adult Vegeta but he was nowhere to be seen.

The doors across the room opened and Freiza walked in followed by the boy version of Vegeta. _I can't watch this again! _She tried with all the willpower in her to wake up but it was impossible, like trying to stop your heartbeats.

Bulma glanced across at the two figures and was relieved to see that they seemed to be talking. Without realising it, she was walking closer to them, trying to hear what they were saying.

"...Yes, Lord Freiza." She heard Vegeta say.

"Good little ape." Freiza replied. "Now you will go to planet Sorata and..." He broke off when the doors opened again.

Bulma gasped as Zarbon burst in. Vegeta was glaring at Freiza now his attention wasn't on him.

"You better have a good reason for interrupting Zarbon." The tyrant said calmly.

"I do, my lord. Scouts have confirmed that there is a third class Saiyan living on planet Sorata. He was sent on a purging mission a year before planet Vegeta's destruction. For reasons unknown, we have no record of this and his mission was never fulfilled."

The young Vegeta totally forgot about Freiza as he listened to Zarbon, a small proud smile on his face.

Bulma could only imagine how he felt. His planet had been destroyed along with all his people bar two, then the news of another survivor...

His smile disappeared as Freiza turned to him.

_He wouldn't..._ Dread filled her as she watched the scene play out.

_Oh, he would. _"New orders, Vegeta. I want you to go to planet Sorata and find out why this third class failed his mission. Then you will destroy him." Freiza smiled cruelly.

Vegeta's face went oddly blank as he replied. "Yes lord Freiza." He said it so quietly that Bulma hardly heard him.

"Then _you _will purge the planet. I have an idea to use it as the new base for the Ginyu Force."

Zarbon smirked and Bulma wondered how she ever thought he was good looking. All she wanted was to slap his face. No, she wanted to smash his face _in_.

Bulma didn't want to watch anymore. She didn't want to watch what Freiza would make Vegeta do. She wanted to wake up in her bed, in her husband's arms.

Instead the room around her blurred and she watched as the room bended and twisted until she was in a dark and small room. It took a while for her eyes to adjust and when they did she saw a small lone figure sitting on the floor. The flame haired silhouette told her who it was.

Her heart dropped when she heard the small sobs coming from the boy and knew what he would do. He would do what Frieza said. Bulma was not surprised or even upset at the boy's decision. She couldn't be. He may be the Prince of all Saiyans -a ruthless and war hungry race- but he was still just a kid.

An image of Goku when she first met him flashed into her mind, a carefree smile on his face. He got a chance that Vegeta never did.

She sat down next to him as he cried. She knew that her Vegeta would probably be furious at her for seeing this. But she didn't care, she needed this. It would help her get through what she was about to see.

* * *

Ha! My first cliffhanger!

I didn't think that Vegeta was too OOC by crying. He cries the most out of all the characters I realised after I wrote it.

Please review, even if you think it's not as good as the last chapter. If you don't I might think that no ones reading it anymore!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey guys, finally, an update!! I know it's been ages, but if you haven't checked out my profile you wouldn't know why, so I'll explain it briefly :p I recently went from being practically jobless to doing a 45-50 hour week between not one, but two jobs. yada yada yada... Anyway that means less time for updates. :(

Anyway, in the words of Vegeta himself, "enough with the suspense already! Get on with the blasted story!"

* * *

Bulma flinched as the scene around her began to change again. The walls rushed towards her and she began to panic when they did not slow down. It seemed at the last second that they did and she found she was in a small spaceship. It was tiny, only enough room for her and the young Vegeta.

He was wearing a scouter now and although he was a great deal younger than when he first came to Earth with Nappa, a shudder ran down her spine at the memories it produced. He touched a button on the side of the scouter and a feminine robotic voice announced that they were approaching Planet Sorata.

Bulma's heart pounded and while only a moment ago she had been preparing herself for what she might see, now she was terrified. She'd told Vegeta - her Vegeta - that no matter what she saw she wouldn't stop loving him. Although this was just a dream and no harm could come to her physically she was left wondering what effects this might have on her mentally.

She looked at Vegeta closely. He was so young, maybe six or seven, yet there was an air of maturity and cynicism about him which made her heart lurch. His face was a stoic mask, betraying no emotion and he looked so much like his future self that she could almost hear him saying something like "Where's your strength woman?" Oddly enough this thought comforted her. She would weather this.

Looking out the small window out the front of the ship and out at the vastness of space, only a large yellow sun and a smallish blue dot visible amongst the black. Quite quickly the small blue orb grew until she recognised it as a planet. Planet Sorata.

"Prepare for landing." The indifferent voice from the scouter said and Bulma suddenly found herself being roughly jostled about as they entered the atmosphere. She was tossed about the small craft like a rag doll until finally the ship landed with a crash.

Groaning, Bulma rubbed herself over, finding some sore spots but she was amazingly undamaged. She found her bearings and gave a shriek when she saw that her legs were penetrating Vegeta's chest. She pulled her legs back but Vegeta gave no indication that he had even noticed and stepped out of the spaceship.

Shaken and dazed, Bulma followed him. What the hell had just happened? Maybe she couldn't interact at all with the younger version of her husband. Testing out her theory, she reached her hand out to grab him but it passed straight through his shoulder. It was like she was some kind of ghost, haunting Vegeta's dreams.

Shaking herself off she looked around and saw that this planet was not unlike Earth. She was still marvelling over the similarities when the sky went dark in a matter of seconds, way too quick to be natural.

Then out of nowhere, a boy appeared before them.

She knew instantly who he must be. He was unmistakably saiyan, his spiky black hair and tail were proof of that. He must be the saiyan Vegeta was sent to kill.

Bulma reeled back in shock. He was younger than Vegeta by the looks of it and while she knew that saiyans were sent on missions not long after being born, hearing about it and seeing it for yourself were two completely different things.

"Who are you?" He asked Vegeta as his eyes trailed the tail he kept wrapped aroung his waist.

Vegeta didn't answer instead he tapped a button on the side of his scouter. A smirk crossed his face as a number was displayed on the device.

"Do you really think you're in a position to demand anything? I'm surprised you're even still alive." The smile dropped from his face in an instant. "Why have you not completed your mission?"

The younger boy stepped back in shock. "You know about that? You're a saiyan?" The boy looked unsure whether he should be happy or not by this news.

"Are you simple? Of course I'm a saiyan. Is the tail not proof enough? Perhaps I should turn into the great ape to convince you. After all, I'm not just some third class scum like yourself but an elite. I can control myself in the transformed state."

Bulma looked at Vegeta and knew he wasn't bluffing. Luckily the saiyan boy was smart enough to realise this too.

"Why are you here?"

"As I said before, you are in no position to be demanding anything from me. You, on the other hand have no choice but to tell me your name and why you have not purged the planet. Then if I'm still in a good mood, I might tell you who I am."

The boy considered this for a second and seemed to sense that Vegeta was not someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of. It amazed Bulma at the type of authority Vegeta radiated at such a young age. She knew this to be a product of his heritage and the harsh environment he'd been raised in.

"My name is Zucana. I arrived on this planet four years ago. Because this planet only has a full moon every three years, my mission was put on hold until it's next occurrence. But a few years ago, I came across the information that Planet Vegeta had been destroyed. By then I had grown to like this planet and with no more reason to complete my mission I abandoned it."

Bulma watched as the two saiyans faced each other. She knew the end of Zucana was near. Vegeta had the information he needed now and all he had to do was kill him and the the inhabitants of the planet.

She knew that for Vegeta, killing this one saiyan was going to be a lot harder than the millions of people that would follow him. Vegeta would never admit that, not even to himself.

She watched as Vegeta started to gather energy and knew that the only mercy Zucana would receive from his prince was a swift death.

"What are you doing?" Zucana asked, a faint echo of fear in his voice as he watched the purple energy gather in Vegeta's hands.

"I'm fulfilling _my _mission." Vegeta said, his voice harsh and his face cold. Bulma shivered at this expression and realised that this was probably one of the first events that was to occur in her husband early life that would turn him into the cold blooded killer he would become.

She covered her ears but couldn't block out Zucana's piercing screams as he realised too late what Vegeta was doing. She closed her eyes but she couldn't escape the vision of him burning into oblivion, his cries disappearing with him.

Eventually Bulma opened her eyes to the small lone figure of Vegeta visible. He showed no remorse save the pain in his eyes but that too disappeared after a while. The cold dead look that replaced it scared her.

_Wake up, wake up, wake up! _She screamed in her head. Nothing changed and she was frustrated with herself. Vegeta had said that she should be able to wake herself up, so what was she doing wrong? Bulma knew that she didn't lack the willpower. The situation was enough motivation itself but still she stood there, staring at the boy version of Vegeta.

And where the hell was her Vegeta? Surely he knew she was stuck there about to witness the slaughter of millions by his hand. Was he doing this on purpose? Testing how true to her word she really was? No. She couldn't think that. Not after last night.

Then where was he? She thought back to the first time this had happened. It had seemed he appeared out of nowhere to stop her from confronting Freiza. She didn't know it at the time but even if Vegeta hadn't stopped her, she wouldn't of been able to stop his younger self from being tortured as it now seemed that she was not able to interact with anyone in his dreams. But Vegeta hadn't known that either. Maybe the circumstances forced him into the dream to stop her from throwing herself in harms way.

Bulma was forced from her thoughts when the boy Vegeta threw some kind of glowing orb into the sky. She instantly recognised it as an artificial moon. Vegeta was going to transform into the giant ape to purge the planet. She shuddered as she remembered the last time she had seen a giant ape this close. Goku had almost killed her.

She watched in morbid fascination as he started to transform. She watched as the small boy's body grew, Vegeta's familiar face distorting as it changed. The scouter broke and fell to the ground, only to be trodden on as Vegeta continued to grow, now the size of a small house.

Bulma took several steps back, her eyes locked on to the creature, not recognisable at all now. Surely he would stop growing _soon_.

He let out a roar and Bulma retreated further. Finally it seemed that he had stopped, it was kind of hard to tell, now that he was so big. Bulma was secretly relieved that Vegeta had decided to complete his mission as the giant ape. Maybe it would seem a little less real this way.

The rest of the dream past by in a series of long flashes. Much of it was chaotic, beams fired in every direction, the planet turning from the lush green that was so similar to earth to a barren wasteland. Bulma sensed that Vegeta was having some minor revenge on Frieza. The tyrant had wanted the planet for his Ginyu Force, but Bulma doubted the planet could be used for anything anymore.

It wasn't as bad as she anticipated either. She was aware that millions were being killed and that in itself was horrifying, but she really didn't see anything. The flashes seemed to get quicker and quicker too and she wondered if this was her Vegeta's doing.

Finally it seemed as if it were over. Vegeta wandered aimlessly, waiting for the artificial moon to disappear.

That's when it happened.

A family of five, all of them female except who Bulma assumed to be the father caught Vegeta's eye. The three younger girls cowered behind their parents as Vegeta closed in on them, his feet causing the ground to shake.

The father tried to get them to run, but they clung to him, tears streaking their faces.

"What do we have here?" Vegeta roared. The girls cried out and the father pushed them away, attempting to save them. "I don't think so." And with one swift movement, Vegeta crushed them all into the ground.

* * *

"No!" Bulma yelled into the darkness. She sat up, panting and crying, her hand reaching out to a memory that was long gone. She looked around at her room, the familiar surroundings not comforting her like they usually did. She couldn't bring herself to look at her husband who she could sense looking at her.

She knew why this had affected her so much. The girls had reminded her so much of Bra. So young and innocent.

"I know," was all that Vegeta said but she could hear the pain in his voice.

Bulma needed space. After what seemed like hours in open areas, she felt a little claustrophobic in her small room, her husband's gaze on her.

"I'm going for a walk." She got up and pulled her nightgown tightly around her. She needed to think, so she walked to her daughter's room, not sparing a glance back at Vegeta.

In Bra's room, the young girl was sleeping soundly, her turquoise hair curled around her face. Bulma sat down on a chair she often sat on to read her daughter bedtime stories and watched her daughter sleep. Bra was a miniature version of her, people often told her so and Bulma had to agree. So far there had only been one occasion where her daughter reminded her of Vegeta. It actually had been not that long ago.

_"Where is Daddy?" Bra asked, her little blue eyes wide._

_"He's training." Bulma was in her lab, working on some new capsules, so she was a little preoccupied._

_"Get Daddy."_

_"I'm busy Bra and so is your father." Bulma never bothered to used baby talk on her daughter, she was too smart for that._

_"GET DADDY NOW!" She yelled, her foot slamming on to the ground, denting it. Bulma to dropped the capsule she was working on and she took a proper look at her daughter. The expression on her face was an exact mirror image of Vegeta, a perfected scowl. It had stunned Bulma for a few moments but she collected herself. That attitude from Vegeta had never worked on Bulma and she wouldn't let her daughter get away with it either._

_"Young lady, you will not talk to me that way."_

_Bra pouted, the likeness to Vegeta vanishing in an instant._

_Bulma hid a smile. "I'll make a special button so you can get him yourself, how about that?"_

She smiled at the memory and sighed. Vegeta's little girl. Bra's devotion to her father reminded Bulma of her relationship with her own.

She couldn't do this to Vegeta. Avoid him. He did not deserve it. Not from her.

Bulma got up, taking one last glance at her daughter.

She made her way back to her room, ready to apologize, but Vegeta was gone.

* * *

AN: Yay! Chapter 3. So proud of myself right now for getting this done.

OK, the reviewer who guesses where the inspiration for the name Zucana came from gets a special prize! But, you have to review to get it! Next chapter, Bulma and Vegeta try to figure out how to stop the dreams/memories from happening.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hey everyone! I can't believe the great reaction I'm getting for this story. I want to say a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed!

Also a special shout out to **XxKuroyoxX** and **Happy Dancing Penguin **for guessing the inspiration for Zucana's name. It was Zuchinni! All the Saiyans are named after vegetables, so I thought it was appropriate.

* * *

Bulma stared at her empty bedroom for a second before leaving again.

Vegeta was in his Gravity Room, she could sense it. She could also feel that he was training extremely hard, something he only did these days if something was really bothering him.

She was not going to let this sit between them, she thought as she made her way to the back of Capsule Corp, where the GR was. Bulma was going to march right in there and sort it out with her husband.

Without hesitation, she walked up to the GR and pushed Bra's emergency button. Bulma had to admit, half the attraction of the device had been just to annoy her saiyan prince.

Vegeta was in the middle of the relatively large room, doing the one handed pushups she loved to watch him do.

He stood up and scowled at her. "Damn it woman, you'd better have a good reason to interrupt my training." He crossed his arms across his chest and growled when she didn't respond. "What is it?"

"We need to talk Vegeta."

"Like hell we do. Now get out."

"Make me." Was all she said but her blue eyes challenged him. Vegeta took a step towards her, his black eyes hardening. She didn't give an inch as he began to gather energy in one of his hands. She glanced at the purple energy, momentarily caught in the light of it, then looked back at her mate.

There was no emotion in his eyes as he stepped closer to her and she thought back on the nightmare they'd shared only an hour before.

It was a test, she realised. A part of her was angry that he thought that she needed to be tested but mostly she was just saddened by how much his past still affected him. Little wonder really, considering he still dreamed about it.

Bulma didn't think as she closed the distance between them. "Go on, do it." She looked into his eyes, once again seeing the pain that hurt her as much as it did him.

She was frozen as he leaned in towards her and for one crazy moment she though he meant to kiss her. Instead he released the energy and whispered in her ear, "I told you I was going to blast that thing if you miss used it."

That's when he kissed her.

Bulma's head spun as he pulled her roughly against him. He was sweaty from training so hard, but she doubted she would've cared if he were covered in mud. As suddenly as it happened though, he ended it by pushing her away.

It took her a couple of seconds to get her bearings but when she did, it occurred to her what he'd done. "You destroyed Bra's button!"

"Damn right I did. Now get out, I have to train."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Vegeta, that hardly qualifies as a conversation."

He sighed and Bulma noticed how tired he looked. "Tomorrow."

"Well officially it _is _tomorrow..." She looked at the lightening sky. "But that's probably a good idea." She was far too tired, both mentally and emotionally, to get into any deep and meaningfuls. Well, as deep and meaningful any conversation with Vegeta got.

She managed to steal another kiss from him before leaving the GR, heading back towards her room. These dreams seemed to be taking a lot out of her, she thought as she set her alarm for another two hours. As soon as her head hit the pillow, there were no more thoughts, just blissful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next day, Bulma was prepared. She'd woken her mind up with an obscene amount of caffeine and exercise. She told her father about the phenomenon of being trapped in Vegeta's dreams, sparring him the details. He hadn't been much help though, not knowing much about the bond saiyans and their mates shared, reminding her that she should be the expert.

Bulma also considered calling the Dream specialist she knew, Dr. Kuroyo but realised that probably wasn't much that she could do. After all, how many patients did the doctor get about getting stuck in your alien husband's nightmares about his horrible and mentally scaring past? Not many, she gathered.

The best thing for them to do was sort it out themselves, Bulma decided as she entered her lab. That was something that could take weeks, if not months.

She sighed as she sat down. As she did, she heard Bra giggling in the distance. That sound was never a positive sign, it meant she was up to mischief. Bulma stood back up and followed the noise. As she got closer to the source of the sound, she suppressed her own laugh at the sight before her.

Vegeta was fast asleep on the lounge in the living room, his daughter brushing his hair. Somehow, Bra had managed to get hair clips and ties into it, despite how thick it was. Bulma realised that Bra had also managed to get to her makeup bag and was in the process of 'making up' her father.

As tempted as Bulma was to let her continue, she also valued her daughter's life too much.

"Bra, what are you doing?" Bulma asked quietly but sternly, trying desperately to keep the smile out of her voice.

Bra jolted at the interruption and turned to her mother guiltily. "I'm giving Papa a makeover." She explained, pointing to the TV, which 'Extreme Makeover' was showing.

"Bra, put the lipstick down. Do you know how much trouble you'll be in if you father wakes up?"

"Heaps?" Bra guessed.

"Yes, that's right, heaps. Now go to your room and makeup your dolls."

"But they're not as fun as daddy."

"No, I guess they're not, but they are far less dangerous."

"OK, Momma." Taking her mother's word for it, Bra jumped up and ran to her room, slamming the door.

That of course, is when Vegeta decided to wake up. His eyes found Bulma's and he stared at he for a couple of seconds, probably considering the mixed look of horror and amusement on her face. "What?"

"I'm just trying to work out the best way to tell you that your daughter decided to experiment on you when you were asleep. She definitely inherited your stealth, that's for sure."

Realisation crossed his face and Bulma was glad she was on the other side of the room as he sat up and grabbed a pink hairclip from his hair. He stared at it for a second. "What the hell..?"

"Oh. don't worry, that's not the worst of it." She stared pointedly at his lips which were now her favourite shade of red. His hand rubbed his mouth and when he pulled it away, both it and his face were smeared in red. Bulma just couldn't contain her laughter anymore, though she knew that she'd pay for it dearly in some way.

"Woman..." Vegeta's voice trailed off dangerously but when she looked at him again, it just made it worse.

Vegeta stormed off towards the direction of the bathroom and it was only when he was out of sight that she could control herself.

If only she'd gotten a picture...

* * *

"Isn't there anything else you remember?" Bulma asked her husband later that evening, after the children had been put to bed.

"No, otherwise I would have told you after you asked me to tell you _everything_."

This was beginning to worry Bulma. Vegeta had indeed told her everything he knew about the rare ability for saiyans and their mates to share dreams in time of crisis. What worried Bulma was that, for one, there was no crisis at the moment as far as Bulma could tell. And two, as Vegeta had described, the mates had always had the ability to wake from these dreams.

"It's possible that I'm getting stuck because I'm not a saiyan."

"No, I don't think so." Bulma looked at her husband as he continued. "It's probably because you have no control over your mind."

"There's nothing wrong with my mind!"

Vegeta smirked. "Oh, I think we both know that's not true."

Bulma glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What I mean is you have no mental defences. I can read your mind as easily as that magazine over there." He nodded his head in it's direction. "But you can't read my mind if I block you, am I correct?"

"I'm sure I could if I tried really hard." Bulma defended herself.

"Do you want to put that to the test?"

"Sure." She said, confident.

Vegeta's expression didn't change at all as she tried to read what was on his mind. Usually, she got a load of feeling or images, sometimes a stray thought. If they both concentrated, they could hear each others thoughts as clearly as if they were speaking aloud. Now, there was absolutely nothing.

Bulma tried harder but if she was completely honest with herself, she had no idea how.

"Glaring at me won't help."

"OK, fine. I can't see or hear a damn thing."

"That's because your mind is weak. If you were to try and block me, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"That's because I have no idea how to even begin to 'block' you!" Bulma protested. "You have an advantage."

"I quite like having the advantage."

"Fine, go ahead." Bulma knew she was being childish, but as far as she was concerned, he deserved it. She thought of Bra's little makeover that afternoon.

At Vegeta's look of rage, she knew she'd scored a hit and smirked. "Just because I can't block you, that doesn't mean I don't have defences."

"Your impossible, woman." He growled. After a while, he calmed back down. "I'll teach you, but on one condition."

Of course there was a condition. "What is it?"

"Don't ever do that again."

"Accepted." Despite the weariness creeping back on her, she was quite excited to start 'training'. "OK, how do we do this?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Right this instant?"

"Why not?"

"OK...First of all, you need to clear your mind. This sounds easy, but it is not. Even the simplest of minds have trouble with it."

Bulma closed her eyes and tried to think of nothing but with two children and a company to run, it sure was difficult.

"Don't think about the homework Trunks hasn't finished or the report due on Tuesday. Focus on one thing. It doesn't matter if it's the ticking of the clock or the sound of your heartbeat."

Bulma settled on Vegeta's even breathing. Suprissingly, she seemed to get the hang of it pretty fast.

"Good." His voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "Now I'm going to enter your mind. You should be able to feel me if your mind truely is clear."

Bulma wasn't sure how to describe it, but she could feel him there, in her mind. It was weird but also comforting.

In her trance, she could hear Vegeta telling her to try and push him out. To feel where he was and push against it.

An hour passed but Bulma still had no success, and she was now on the verge of falling asleep.

"Bulma."

At her name, she opened her eyes. Vegeta was looking at her with annoyance and a slight edge of amusement.

"What?"

"You fell asleep."

"I've been so tired lately, it's really no surprise." She yawned and stretched. "Where did you learn all this?"

At first Vegeta looked as if he were going to answer with one of his noncommittal, one worded answers but he surprised her by changing his mind.

"During my many years in Frieza's _servitude_," He sneered, "I encountered many warriors with the ability to read or even control minds. I learnt very quickly how not to become a victim to these pathetic creatures."

Bulma nodded thoughtfully. She guessed that was very 'trial and error'.

"Get some sleep, woman. I can't teach you a damn thing when you're this tired." Vegeta said it gruffly but Bulma knew him well enough to hear the concern hidden in there.

"OK." She started to walk out but paused when he didn't follow her. "Aren't you coming?"

"No. I think it's a good idea if we don't sleep at the same time, considering the last two nights."

Bulma had to admit, he had a good point but she really didn't want to sleep alone. "Can't you keep me company until I fall asleep?" She asked.

"You'll be asleep as soon as your head hits that pillow.

She shrugged. "I don't like it when you're not there."

Vegeta didn't say anything after that, he just followed her to their room.

* * *

AN: There you go. Please forgive the slightly stupid middle part, but I loved it so much I couldn't bear to cut it out! Vegeta and Bra moments are too cute. This chapter is a fair bit more lighthearted than the last, too much drama gets me too depressed.

Anyway, as always, please tell me what you think, reveiws are always appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, I'm just having a little fun with it!

AN: Hey guys, sorry again about the gap between updates, I changed the end of this story so many times it's not funny! This ones got a few guest stars and a couple of plot twists, so enjoy!

* * *

Bulma sat there, a million miles from the pressures and demands of the outside world. Her mind was blank, so lost in her meditation that she could've been sleeping. The only thing that kept her mind from being truly peaceful was the constant prodding of her mind. At first it had been easy to ignore, to push away, but it slowly became more persistent until it simply became too overpowering.

She jerked into awareness, convinced for a second that she _had _been sleeping, then she focused on the man sitting opposite to her. Sometimes she was buried so deeply in her training that hours would pass by in what seemed like minutes.

"How did I do today?"

Vegeta's expression hardened when he answered. "You are improving every day."

Bulma had to admit, she was a little confused. Wasn't that the point? Why did she suddenly get the impression that Vegeta didn't want her getting any better?

As usual, his expression and mind were well guarded, so she had to rely on the old fashioned and less reliable way to get information from him and ask.

"And you don't want me to?"

Her husbands dark eyebrows pulled together in a frown. "What I want is not an option at the moment, but it seems the training we are doing is working both ways."

Bulma thought this through. "You mean I'm picking up on thoughts from you that I shouldn't be?"

"Exactly. It's getting easier for you to break through my mental shields."

To Bulma, this didn't seem like such a bad thing. Their relationship had always been a bit lopsided in this department, her mind was an open book to him, whereas his mind was only open when he chose it to be. Excluding the moments when she'd caught him with his guard down.

"Believe me, woman, it for your own sake. It is better if you don't know what is on my mind sometimes."

She wasn't sure if she agreed, but let the subject drop -Something she had been thinking about earlier in the day had just came to mind. "Vegeta, do you think this has ever happened to Goku and Chichi?"

Of course, he'd already considered this. "I doubt it, though it's not impossible." His eyes narrowed. "I'm suprised you haven't already called the harpy to ask."

Bulma ignored the insult to her friend. "I wanted to ask you first, after all they are your memories. I really didn't think you'd appreciate me getting ahead of myself. Besides, what would I say? Hi Chichi, guess what!? I get trapped in Vegeta's dreams?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "As long as you don't get into the details, I really don't care."

"But it sounds insane! Who would believe that?"

"Woman, use your brain. She would. After all, she is bonded to the clown."

Bulma smiled at his nickname for Goku. "It is one thing to be able to read your husband's mind but it's a completely different matter if you get stuck in their nightmares." Her smile widened. "I doubt Chichi could help anyway, I mean what's the worst thing Goku could dream up? Getting a needle?"

Vegeta snorted in disgust. "Such a third class fear."

She remembered something Goku told her a while back. "And worms are a perfectly rational fear?"

His eyes widened in suprise for a second before narrowing into a scowl. "I do not fear worms! _You_stand in front of one that is ten meters tall!" A shiver went down his spine. At Bulma's smile, he lifted his chin. "Hmph."

She just couldn't resist teasing her seemingly fearless mate.

"Well, I might ask her and Goku about it all the same. There might be something they can tell us. " At his glare she added, "no details, I promise!"

"Good. I've got far more important things to do than sit around discussing dreams."

"Let me guess. You've got training, then training, then right after that, training!"

"You've cut into enough of my time as it is Bulma." A rare glint of mischievousness came into his eyes. "Besides, I might have something to eat between all that training."

* * *

Bulma rang Chichi after her and Vegeta's talk.

"Oh, hi Bulma." Her friend sounded a little distracted.

"Hi Chi. Is Goku around?"

"Yes, he's right..." Bulma let out a squeal as Chichi and her oldest friend popped up in front of her, his arms wrapped snugly around her waist. "...Here." Chichi broke from his hold and glared at him. "You could've warned me Goku!" A blush spread over Chichi's cheeks.

Goku grinned, not effected by the two women's glares. "Sorry Chi, it sounded urgent."

"Not that urgent." Bulma muttered, shaking her head. Goku could be so clueless sometimes. Her exasperation grew when her mother walked through the door.

"Bulma, you didn't tell me you had guests."

"They just got here, mum."

"Oh my, Goku. I'd forgotten how handsome you are. And look at all those muscles." Bunny latched on to the oblivious saiyan's arm, earning a glare from his wife. As usual, Bulma's mother failed to notice this and beamed up at Goku.

"Uh, thanks Mrs. Breifs." Goku flustered a little and tried to disengage himself from her.

"Do call me Bunny." She let out a giggle and held on to him tighter. "How about a snack?"

"Yes mother, do get us a snack." Bulma cast a glance at Chichi, who looked like she was going to punch Bunny at any moment. "And some drinks." She added, then dragged her mother from her best friend, then out the door.

Bulma knew first hand how potent a saiyan's mate's jealousy could be. She herself had felt the rage several times, much to Vegeta's amusement.

Bulma returned seconds later. "Don't worry Goku, you got off easy." She gave Chichi an apologetic smile. "You should see her with Vegeta." The blue haired woman rolled her eyes.

Goku grinned. "I bet that's interesting to see."

"Don't get me started. I was hoping it would wear off after a couple of years, but I really think she's getting worse." She shook her head of these thoughts. "Well the reason I wanted to talk to you two in the first place is because of something that is happening between Vegeta and I."

Chichi and Goku both looked on, interested.

"The other night I found myself in one of Vegeta's dreams, a memory. I won't go into the details, but it was pretty horrible.

Chichi's eyes widened. "You were in his dream?"

"Nightmare." Bulma corrected.

Goku crossed his arms. "Jeez Bulma, that sounds intense. What happened?"

Bulma deliberately misinterpreted his question. "When I woke up, Vegeta told me it wouldn't happen again-"

" -but it did." Chichi continued.

Bulma nodded. "The next night, and that one was worse." She shuddered. "It got me to thinking that maybe the same thing has happened to you guys."

Chichi and Goku exchanged a glance. It was quick, but Bulma's sharp eyes didn't miss it. "It has, hasn't it?"

Goku looked a little reluctant to answer and truth be told, a little worried.

"What is it? Just tell me, it might help."

Chchi sighed. "You're not going to like it, but you're right, it might help." She sat down and motioned for Bulma to do the same. Goku leant against a nearby wall and the rare serious expression had her worried.

"Do you remember when Goku got that heart virus?"

She nodded. "Of course I do."

Chi continued. "He had that virus for over a week and I nursed him, night and day. It was horrible. The pain he was in, the screaming..." The younger woman's voice wavered but she went on. "There was one night, I remember it very well. Goku looked well, like he was pulling through. I thought Goku was in the clear, hours went by and his condition didn't change, so I thought it was safe to sleep."

She looked at Bulma, tears in her eyes. Goku walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright Chi."

She gave her husband a watery smile, then turned back to Bulma. "I found myself in his dream. At first I thought it was mine but when I tried to touch Goku, I couldn't. It was when the androids appeared that I realised what was happening. I thought I was losing my mind! Goku fought with them, but lost. That's when..." A single tear dropped down her face. "...Goku died."

Bulma gasped.

"I woke up and looked across at Goku, and knew that the virus had taken him when we were sleeping." Her voice came out strangled.

"But..."

Goku cut in at this point, realising Chichi was unable to continue. "Luckily Yamcha was there, and boy am I glad he was. He restarted my heart with some of his energy and the next day, I pulled through."

Bulma was shocked. Goku had actually died? "Why didn't anyone say anything? That Yamcha!"

"I told him not to tell anyone. I didn't want Gohan finding out. The little guy was dealing with enough as it was." Goku told her. "Besides, it's not like I stayed dead, is it?"

"Not that time." Chichi muttered ruefully, her eyes still a little red.

Is this what Vegeta meant by crisis? No, surely Vegeta would have mentioned that. And Vegeta was in top physical condition, she made sure of it. Coldness swept over her at the thought that maybe she'd missed something in his weekly check up.

Goku must've seen the panic in her eyes. "Calm down Bulma. I'm sure it is just a coincidence." He smiled. "By the feel of Vegeta's ki, I'm sure he's just fine."

There was a knock on the door and Bunny walked back in with a tray of food and drinks.

Goku eyed Bunny apprehensively, probably deciding whether to stick around for food and put up with Bunny's flirting, or -as she highly suspected- to go and spar with Vegeta.

He decided on the latter as Bunny edged closer to him and put two fingers to his forehead. "Bye girls!" He said before disappearing.

"Ooh, where'd he go?"

Bulma ignored her mother as she went over this revelation. Was it really a coincidence? Or was there some hidden danger her husband was in?

"That Goku!" Chichi fumed. "How am I supposed to get home?"

"You're welcome to stay until those two are finished, Chi."

The younger woman relaxed a little but her eyebrows were still pulled together in a frown. "I suppose, it's just I've got so much to do, not to mention Goten is there by himself."

"Goten will be fine. Why don't I send Trunks over there to keep him company?"

"That would be great Bulma." She relaxed completely.

Bunny looked a little put out that male company had escaped her again. "Oh well, I'll just save these treats for Vegeta." She picked up the tray of cakes and walked out the door, a skip in her step.

Bulma shook her head but didn't say anything. Her mother should know by now that Vegeta didn't eat such things. His only indulgence was the occasional tub of chocolate ice cream.

Bulma and Chichi left as well and headed upstairs to where she could sense her son.

"By the way, tell Gohan thanks for minding Bra tonight."

Chichi waved her hand dismissively. "It's no problem. Pan needs the company, and after raising two boys, it's a relief to have two girls running around. He's taking them to the pictures today." Chichi spotted the look of worry on Bulma's face and knew that her attempt to change the subject hadn't worked. "I wouldn't worry too much about the dream thing, Bulma. If anyone can figure it out, it's you."

They stopped outside of Trunks' door and Bulma smiled back at her. "Thanks Chi." She knocked on his door and after a while he answered it, his normally neat hair pushed this way and that.

"You were still sleeping?" Chichi asked incredulously.

"Hi Mrs. Son. Yeah, I uh, had a late one last night." He shifted awkwardly on his feet.

"Video games will rot your mind, son." Bulma reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered.

Chichi tsked at this but otherwise ignored it. Her son was acting the exact same way lately. Teen-aged delinquents.

"Get dressed Trunks. I want you to go and keep Goten company for a couple of hours."

Trunks looked excitedly at his mother for a second before deflating just as quickly. 'Dad said I wasn't allowed to visit him anymore, until I train harder." He scowled at the unfairness his father put him through.

That was just like Vegeta, Bulma thought. "Well your father is busy sparring with Goku at the moment, so I don't think he'll notice if you go missing for a couple of hours." She winked at him. "Just make sure you get home before he is finished."

Trunks grinned. His father sparred with Goku for hours. "Awesome. I'll be back by five!" With that he shut the door in their faces.

* * *

It was six o'clock when Vegeta and Goku returned, having abandoned the GR for somewhere a little less destructable. Both looked a bit worse for wear, but with a distinct air of satisfaction about them.

Chichi and Goku said their goodbye's then disappeared, and Goku returned just minutes later with a very sheepish looking Trunks. Vegeta scowled but was probably too tired to do anything about his disobedience for the time being, though Trunks would know about it tomorrow. She shot her son a 'I warned you' look.

Whether it was intentional or not, Bulma was glad that the GR was still in tact. She had so much on her plate right now and now she had to find out if there was a link between the 'dream walking' -as she had dubbed it- and a saiyan nearing death. Chichi had said she hadn't gotten any sleep prior to Goku's brush with death, and it was only that last night she'd actually slept and the dream walking had occurred. If Chichi had slept a few nights before, would it still have happened to warn her of her mate's impending doom?

Bulma didn't think so. She'd first walked into Vegeta's dreams two weeks ago. They'd been very careful not to fall asleep at the same time. While it frustrated Bulma to sleep without her husband's arms curled around her, it had been very effective. It had not happened again after the second time and Vegeta was still here.

Doubt crept into her mind. What if there was a connection and it was just taking longer? No. Goku had dreamt of dying and he had, if only for a minute. Vegeta was dreaming of his past, it was horrible, but he wasn't dying. It was totally different.

Bulma gritted her teeth. Damn it! Just when she thought she knew everything about the bond her and Vegeta shared, something like this happens!

Bulma was pulled from her reverie when someone cleared their throat. Her eyes snapped up to the source of the sound and into a pair of thoughtful black eyes. She'd been so absorbed in her thoughts she hadn't even felt Vegeta approaching. "I suppose you got all of that?" Her eyes left his to assess the damage he'd sustained during his sparring.

Vegeta nodded but didn't comment.

She lent across and wiped blood from one of his cheekbones. "Let's get you cleaned up before dinner. My mother would have a heart attack if she saw you like this." Bulma smiled, knowing how her mother would fuss, telling her that she didn't look after her husband properly.

Vegeta bared his teeth and growled. "That might be motivation enough."

They walked to the infirmary, a special one she'd made a decade ago when Vegeta first seriously began living with her and Trunks. It was state of the art and beyond, her family being amongst the richest in the world.

Vegeta took off the top part of his ruined training uniform and sat down on the bench as Bulma searched through the drawers. Finding what she needed, she lay them out on the counter beside him.

She could nearly feel Vegeta rolling his eyes. His saiyan DNA gave him remarkable healing abilities but she'd spotted a few deep gashes and burns that would take at least a couple of days to heal, and she felt better when they were treated and covered up. This was 'useless' and 'unnessersary' acording to the prince, but she would not let up until it was done.

Besides, she knew some small part of him liked her tending to his wounds.

Bulma rinsed a cloth under a tap, then began the daunting task of wiping blood and dirt from the more serious wounds. When that was done, she wiped them over with a strong disinfectant. Vegeta never flinched, never made a sound and his breathing remained relaxed. Bulma was yet again amazed by his self control. It must hurt, though she knew he would never show it.

Finally, she had that done and finished off by wrapping bandages around his torso, where most of the damage seemed to be.

"Goku had a field day with you today, didn't he?"

"I gave as good as I got."

It pained her to see him hurt, though he really didn't care. It was nothing compared to what he'd been through and it was not without merit as it only made him stronger. Her fingers traced his numerous scars almost subconsciously, like many times before.

Vegeta remained stoic as she continued, her hands finding the one on his neck. This one always made her angry. She could tell just by the width of the scar that this one had been meant to kill him. She hoped whoever had did it was rotting in hell.

He smiled savagely at her. "Of course."

It was incredible, the effect that smile still had on her. Her fingers trembled as she continued on to his shoulder, and she could feel the smug laughter in his head.

Bulma was just about to turn her head up to give him a piece of her mind when her eyes caught the scar on his shoulder. It was one she'd seen many times before but now she saw it in a different light. She knew what had caused this one, she'd seen it happen in a dream two weeks ago. She lightly traced the jagged line. For the first time, she was seeing the stories behind the scars.

She pulled her hand away as if she'd been burned when the sudden image flashed through her mind. It was so vivid, she could smell it, she could _feel _it. Her eyes shot up to Vegeta's in shock. What had they done to him? The horror of it washed over her.

Vegeta's jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes were black chips of ice. She was shocked by the coldness of them, it was something she hadn't seen for a _very_ long time. Then she realised that he wasn't actually looking at her but _through _her.

Aware of the danger but unable to stop herself, Bulma lightly put her hands on either side of his face. "Vegeta."

At his name, his eyes seemed to focus on her. "Bulma?" Realisation dawned in them and the coldness dropped away when he saw the expression on her face. "That is the very reason I don't want you in my head."

"What..?"

He cut her off, his voice suddenly from silk to steel. "I don't want to talk about it." In one graceful movement he slid off the bench and was halfway out the door before she could respond.

She chased him out the door, knowing that in any second he could vanish and leave her behind. "You can't ignore this. Twenty five years of bad memories aren't just going to disappear."

He stopped so suddenly that she ran into him full force. It was like running into a brick wall. "Bad memories?" His voice was deadly quiet.

"Terrible, horrific, traumatic, frightening. Take your pick, my point is they're catching up awfully fast and ignoring them are only going to make them worse."

"What would you know?" He growled, his back still turned to her.

She lay a hand on his shoulder, he flinched but didn't move away. "I just know, I can feel it. If this keeps going..." She trailed off as it dawned on her like a punch to the stomach, bringing tears to her eyes. "...I'm going to lose you."

Is that what it was, the crisis? Was he going to get so consumed by his past that he was in danger of becoming catatonic? Maybe she wasn't going to lose him physically, but mentally. It was a very definite possibility.

He didn't say anything but he didn't need to. She could see that his mind was in turmoil, his pride refusing to accept it, his reason telling him it was true. Finally he turned to her, her tears sealing his decision.

"What must I do?"

* * *

AN: Don't worry, Vegeta won't be giving in that easily! I really liked the end of this chapter, I got a bit of writers block, and some sudden inspiration had me going full steam ahead again! I'm actually starting to have a plan for this story too, instead of winging it like I have been.

As always, please reveiw, It makes my day!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I know, it's been forever! I'm gonna stop saying that updates won't be as long because life and writer's block have a way of hearing you and preventing that from happening. Fellow writers will know exactly what I'm talking about! I hope it is well worth the wait for you.

Also, I was watching Wrath of the Dragon and it was suggested that Trunks knew how to play several instruments, I thought it was a cool idea so I thought I'd add it in there.

* * *

Bulma sighed. Vegeta was not having dinner with the family _again._ He'd taken off after their talk, he didn't like her suggested solution of allowing the dream walking to occur at all and she'd pushed it too far. Now she regretted it, he was far away, too far for her to know exactly where he was.

Not to mention that her mother wouldn't shut up about it. _Poor Vegeta, he must be so lonely and hungry. He's your husband Bulma, you should find him and talk to him about it. _And Bulma had tried, but if the man didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be.

Using her new found mental capabilities, she tried desperately to get through his mental shields but he was blocking like crazy, refusing to communicate. It was wrong and it reminded her how their relationship used to be. How he used to be.

Bulma served the dinner her mother had prepared earlier in the day. Of course there was enough to feed a small country, even Bra ate more than Bulma now.

Bra bypassed her dinner and stood next to her mother. "Where is daddy?" She asked, her little fist grasping her mother's shirt. Her voice wavered a little as she continued, "I miss him momma."

Bulma looked down at her daughter. It'd been hard on the little girl, not to see her father everyday. It made Bulma sigh again. "He'll be back soon, sweetheart." She sat the little girl up on her knee and gave her a hug. "He's just having some time away."

Bra pulled away from her, revealing the tears running down her face. "But why? Why doesn't daddy want to see us?"

She thumbed away her daughters tears. "Your father loves you, Bra, of course he wants to see you. But sometimes he just needs to be alone." Bulma herself would've been satisfied with this answer herself six or seven years ago, but ever since Buu, Vegeta had not been away from his family for more than a day at a time. Unlike Trunks, Bra didn't know what her father used to be like.

Trunks met her eyes from across the table and she felt him open the telepathic link between them. _What's the real reason?_

Bulma shrugged and put Bra into her chair as she answered. _He's having a rough time. The past is catching up to him._

Trunks was old enough to know what this meant. He knew nearly as much as Bulma did about his father's past. The young teenager's eyes shot out the window to the darkening sky. _It's been three days._

_I know Trunks._ Three days and two and a half hours, to be exact.

Dinner remained quiet and finished quickly after that. Though Vegeta hardly added to the conversation at dinner when he was there, his presence was enough contribution. He listened to Bra's unimportant prattle and berated Trunks for not training enough. His absence now was obvious, any conversation was forced and his empty chair was like a magnet to their eyes.

Bulma settled her daughter into bed early that night, sitting in the chair next to it. Trunks had escaped to his room straight after dinner and she could now hear him playing his acoustic guitar. He was quite good and a soft melody carried into the room.

Bra pulled the quilt up to her face, her blue eyes wide. "Will daddy be back tomorrow?"

A wave of sadness rushed over Bulma and she fought back tears. She kissed Bra tenderly on the forehead. "I don't know."

Bulma stayed until her daughter's eyes finally fluttered closed. Trunks was still playing by then and she knew he was taking his father's absence hard too. He often complained that Vegeta was strict on him but she knew he'd rather that then this.

She gritted her teeth, instantly furious. She could've handled it if it was just her and Trunks, like it had been all those years ago when it seemed that he hadn't given a damn. But it wasn't. Their children relied on him now, and he wasn't around. Left without saying goodbye or even offering a reasonable explanation to them. It reminded her of something and it took her a full minute to work out what it was.

Goku! When she'd found out he'd just decided not to be wished back on the pathetic excuse that he'd caused the Earth more harm than good. He'd abandoned his pregnant wife and child to _train. _Argh! Saiyan men! Did they ever grow up and face the fact that they had families and responsibilities? Bulma liked to think that Vegeta was reliable in a way Goku never was, but now she wasn't so sure.

She left Bra's room and stormed off towards her own, her footsteps softening as her anger wore off. She reached her room, heading straight to the en suite bathroom to wash her face.

Bulma sighed. No, that wasn't fair at all. Goku had been gone for seven years and as much as Bulma loved and adored her oldest friend, she knew that if Buu hadn't happened he'd still be gone. Vegeta had been gone for three days so far, it was hardly right to compare. He'd be back, she just had to be patient.

Ironically, that was the very moment she could feel Vegeta making his way home. She grabbed a jacket before walking out to the balcony, wrapping it tightly around herself. She leant against the balcony railing as she waited, knowing it wouldn't take him that long to get there.

Sure enough, within ten minutes she saw his silhouette against the night sky and watched as he got closer until he finally stood beside her. The warmth of his body washed over her and she instinctively moved closer to him. They both looked out at the city lights for a while before Bulma broke the silence.

"Bra missed you." She glanced sidewards at him, studying his profile.

He didn't look at her as he answered, "did she?"

She turned fully in his direction. "Of course she did! In case you've never noticed, she worships the ground you walk on. You're her hero." Her voice trailed off softly.

Vegeta still refused to look at her but his eyebrows furrowed for an instant and she heard him grind his teeth together. "I'm no hero." His hand tightened into fists. "I'm a coward."

Bulma's eyes widened, did she just hear right? She placed a hand on his shoulder and his eyes finally met hers.

As if a floodgate had been opened, she could hear and feel all of his thoughts over the last three days. How could someone hate themselves so much? She gripped the handrail as it overwhelmed her. The pride and love for his family and his fear of them discovering the true extent of his past and seeing him for what he thought he was. The anger at himself for not being brave enough to risk them ever finding out.

She gasped as she heard her own voice, her mental tirade of saiyan men and their lack of responsibility from only half an hour ago. He made his decision then, to prove himself worthy of their reliance in him, their trust, by ridding himself of these nightmares -at least to the extent that they did not effect his mental well being. Even if it meant Bulma seeing things from his past he'd rather she didn't.

Bulma felt lightheaded at the flood of information and Vegeta pulled his eyes away from hers, turning away to head inside. The cold night air washed over her, snapping her back into the moment.

She spun around. "Vegeta!" He stopped but didn't turn back to her. She walked over to him instead, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek to his back. "It's not cowardice to face your fears," she whispered.

His hands found her and she thought he was going to push her away but he surprised her by threading his fingers through hers and gripping them. A sigh that sounded like "Bulma" escaped his lips and she curled her fingers around his and closed her eyes. She was relieved that he was finally accepting the help she desperately wanted to give him.

They stood like that for an endless moment, Bulma wasn't sure if it was ten minutes or an hour but it eventually did end. Vegeta pulled away from her and turned around. "I will let you enter my dreams but you have to promise me that if it's too much for you to handle that you will get yourself out of there."

Bulma nodded. "I promise." She smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "Do you want me to pinky promise?" She asked him, holding her fist out, pinky extended.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "You are incredibly childish." But he locked his pinky with hers, amusing her.

"This is coming from the man who played rock, paper, scissors with Goku to determine who got to fight Buu first," she teased.

His eyes narrowed and the small smile dropped from his face. "Who told you that?"

"You did." Bulma grinned at his doubtful expression. "Well you didn't so much as tell me as I read it from your mind accidentally..." She trailed off and ran inside as he lunged for her, his hands narrowly missing her waist.

She giggled breathlessly as a second later he had her pinned to the wall, his hands now trapping hers on either side of her body. "You know, that's an invasion of privacy." He growled half playfully, half annoyed.

"Now you know how I feel," she said and stomped her foot down on his as hard as she could.

He scoffed. "Oh, please. Was that supposed to hurt?"

"I'll get you by surprise one day," she warned, knowing as she said it that she wouldn't. Her body became pliant as he pressed his body harder into hers. "You know, _I _really missed you." She said softly as he leant closer to her.

Vegeta paused, his black eyes staring straight into her soul as he replied, "I missed you too."

* * *

Bulma opened her eyes, expecting to see sunlight streaming through the still open balcony door and her husband's sleeping form next to her.

Instead she was in a room with dozens of switches and flashing lights which the mechanical genius part of her instantly recognised as the cockpit of some foreign spacecraft. It was quite different to the space pods and probably a lot larger.

There was a wide window towards the front and she walked closer and peered out. There were hundreds of other spaceships, zooming to and fro in space, locked in combat with each other. The ship she was in however, seemed to be on the outskirts of the battlefield.

She wasn't sure if she was suprised or not to be in another one of Vegeta's dreams. She hadn't thought twice about falling asleep next to him, just being happy that he was back. Just as well he'd finally agreed to let her walk in his dreams.

Bulma jumped and spun around as she heard a booming voice behind her. She faced a man so huge he had to duck for his bald head not to hit the ceiling of the ship. He looked familiar and she recognised him as Nappa, the saiyan Vegeta had first come to Earth with. "Prince Vegeta, was the set up of this entire fight necessary for our plan to work?" He gestured out the window, towards Bulma. "I mean, it's not like it isn't fun to watch but Frieza might get suspicious."

She turned in the direction that the huge saiyan was facing. Her eyes widened when she was not faced with the boy Vegeta she had been expecting but a version very much the same physically as the man she was married to.

Vegeta was sitting in what she assumed to be the pilot's chair and he pressed several buttons on the screen in front of him, preparing the spacecraft for something. "First of all Nappa, this is not _our_ plan but _mine_. You are only here to back up my story." He pressed several more buttons as he continued, his eyes not leaving the screen once. "Secondly, the skirmish is just a means to not to be accounted for for a couple of hours. Thirdly, Frieza's head is so stuck up his own ass that he will not see this coming. When he does, it will be yet another _trophy _for his mantle." His mouth twisted into a sneer in the last sentence.

Bulma looked out the front window again and realised they had turned away from the battle and were now heading towards a nearby planet. She quickly sat down in one of the empty chairs and strapped herself in. She didn't want a repeat of the last time she entered atmosphere in one of Vegeta's dreams unrestrained.

But the ship didn't so much as shudder as it entered the planet's atmosphere and she sighed in relief. She looked across at Vegeta, he was monitoring the ship's readings and making sure the planet's conditions were right for landing. Nappa was standing at the back of the cockpit, his huge arms crossed. He looked disturbed by something but his respect for -and probably fear of- his prince kept him from saying what it was.

Finally, the ship landed with a slight 'thud' and she quickly undid her restraints, following Vegeta and Nappa's already retreating figures. She ignore the temptation to see the rest of the craft as she walked through it. She was here for a reason and who knew what would actually happen if she did that?

They reached the docking area and Vegeta pressed a button that open a door to the outside. Bulma followed them, looking around. The first thing she noticed however, was not the sight of a battlefield where hundreds -maybe thousands- of casualties still lay, their decomposing bodies baking in the sun. It was the smell of death and half cooked, rotting meat. She bent over and gagged, suddenly face to face with a rotted corpse, blank eye sockets staring up at her. She shrieked, the sound hurting even her ears but the two saiyans were oblivious to her distress.

Nappa looked down at the numerous dead bodies surrounding him, unperturbed by the sight. "Oh man, the guy hasn't even cleaned up after himself. What an amateur." He kicked a corpse and growled. "Are you sure you don't want to just leave the guy here?"

_So they are here for someone. _Bulma thought, wondering why Vegeta was dreaming this. It sure was horrifying but it couldn't be that much worse than the thousands of other battlefields he'd seen -and mostly caused- just like this one.

"Quiet!" Vegeta snapped harshly, now with a scouter in his hand. Nappa obeyed as he turned it on and put it on his face and scanned the area. A foreign number popped up on the small screen and he turned it off, looking out into the distance. "The last thing we need is your yapping letting Frieza know we're not in that battle."

"Vegeta, it's not that I don't have faith in your plan, but won't Frieza know what you're up to when he activates the locator beacon on your ship?"

The Saiyan Prince shot his subordinate an annoyed look. "Obvious you doubt my plan if you have to ask that." He looked back in the direction his scouter had indicated. "He is five kilometers in that direction."

Nappa looked unhappy with this answer but yet again kept silent.

Bulma was concentrating solely on their interaction, trying unsuccessfully to push the gruesome scene from her attention. The smell was overwhelming, her gag reflex working overtime and she pushed her arm to her face to smother the stench. But she knew that this was going to be sticking with her for a very long time.

She was relieved when the scenery began to change and the landscape morphed but not drastically. The army of dead bodies disapeared and she pulled her arm from her face and sniffed lightly, then greedily inhaled the sweet clean air.

Looking around, she noticed that Vegeta and Nappa were standing quite far away now, near what looked to be like another person. She walked closer, noticing how the extra person seemed to have an abundant amount of hair. Bulma watched in shock as the figure knelt into an unmistakable bow. She faintly heard the words, "Prince Vegeta."

_It was a saiyan! _She realised, moving faster towards them. As the figure stood up, Bulma gasped, now close enough to see his face. She knew this monster. This was the saiyan that had kidnapped his own nephew then tried to kill his father when he'd refused to join him in the pirating trade. "Raditz!"

* * *

AN: So I don't know how Raditz became one of the lucky saiyans not to perish in Planet Vegeta's destruction, but this is my own take on it. If I'm wrong so far please think of it as slightly AU. I like where this is going so much, it'd break my heart to change it.

Pretty please with cheese on top, review! Reviews are like air to me. Well maybe not air but something I can live without but really wouldn't like to. Like DBZ! Or chocolate!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry guys! I haven't abandoned my stories, but I won't bore you with my excuses. Chapter 7 is finally here!

* * *

Bulma watched and listened as the three saiyans talked. Well, Vegeta demanded answers and Radditz produced them. Nappa stood silently yet listened intently to Radditz's every word, as if searching for a fallacy he could catch him out on.

Radditz explained that he was a renegade space pirate. Since Planet Vegeta's destruction, he'd been travelling planet to planet, killing or enslaving the inhabitants then selling it and them to the highest bidder. Unlike Vegeta and Nappa, he was solely independent and usually stayed well away from Frieza's radar. But a contact had offered him three times the usual amount for a planet no so far from Frieza's reign. He'd been too greedy to refuse, despite the risk of stepping on Frieza's toes.

Unfortunately for Radditz, his carelessness had led him to be followed by one of Frieza's scouts and purely by chance, Vegeta had caught wind of this before the tyrant and erased any evidence of the scout's report. That scout was going to be conveniently 'destroyed' in the battle that was now happening right at the moment.

"Prince Vegeta, it is not that I'm ungrateful for your interference but I'm confused by why you have considered my life worth enough to spare." Bulma watched almost in amusement as Radditz tried to keep his speech as proper as he could, clearly not used to it and finding it difficult.

Vegeta glowered at the third class. "Have you noticed anything in particular about the Saiyan race since Planet Vegeta was destroyed? _There's only three of us left!"_Something unsettling flashed through his eyes and it took Bulma an instant to realise the source of it. He was remembering Zucana, the saiyan boy he had killed under Frieza's orders when he was just a boy himself. However the look disappeared before the two other saiyan's noticed and Vegeta continued. "As easy as it would have been to just let Frieza kill you for your stupidity, I will not allow Frieza the opportunity to kill the remainder of our race. He has already shed enough Saiyan blood for him to lord over me." The sheer hatred in his eyes was enough for Radditz to take a step back.

"If I may, Prince Vegeta, I am aware of yet another Saiyan that is possibly still alive. He is just a third class such as myself -he is my brother- but he may prove to be useful to you."

Nappa shot a quick and guarded look towards Radditz. "_Another _saiyan? How is that possible?" Even Vegeta was interested enough to be snapped out of his murderous reverie.

"My father sent him to the Planet Earth just before Planet Vegeta's destruction." Radditz explained.

"Earth?" Vegeta jibed, "that planet is just some backwater mudball in the middle of nowhere, easily conquerable, I could do it in my sleep. Surely even a third class could manage _that_."

"Yes, Prince Vegeta but my brother was born especially weak. I'm not entirely sure if he even survived the trip there."

Bulma grinned. _Oh, he survived the trip, alright!_

The Saiyan Prince scowled. "I have no use for an incompetent warrior, especially one so far away, that would cause more trouble than it's worth." A thought seemed to occur to him. "However, there is a purging mission in a couple of months that may require extra help," he added in Nappa's direction.

"Yeah, those Fraserians are a pain in the ass. An extra Oozaruu or two would be helpful." Nappa added.

Radditz shivered, the hair on his tail bristling. "Fraserians? Surely that's suicide!" He blanched when he remembered who he was talking to, realising his potentially fatal mistake too late.

Vegeta managed to look down at Radditz in disgust. "You were right Nappa, maybe this coward was better left for Frieza." Nappa grunted, whether it was in agreement or just acknowledgment, Bulma couldn't tell but Vegeta seemed to find some reason not to kill Raditz on the spot though the disdain was still evident in his voice. "The Fraserians ability to absorb ki is formidable but a little thing like that should not stop a saiyan, or a great ape for that matter."

Radditz nodded, relieved at being pardoned.

Nappa turned to Vegeta. "How will you explain this to Freiza? I don't think..."

"No _you_don't think, Nappa, _I _do. There is no need for Freiza to be aware of his existence now, is there?"

"Not now, my Prince, but what about when Freiza realises there are two more saiyans than he thought existed?"

"I will deal with that when the time comes," he said sharply. "For now, the third class will go to Earth and recruit his brother." He turned to Radditz. "Oh, and you might want to purge the planet while you're there. Freiza might just spare your pathetic existence if you bag him a planet."

Bulma startled when the scenery began to change again. She had been, well not _enjoying _the exchange between the saiyans but it was interesting, and refeshingly non-violent. She watched as sterile white hallways replaced the lush green fields of whatever planet they'd just been on. Radditz and Nappa disappeared altogether while Vegeta suddenly appeared right in front of her, his whole body tense.

That's when she noticed Frieza in front of him, clearly very annoyed about something. Zarbon and a hideous purple alien stood behind him, smirks on their faces.

Frieza spoke then and a chill went down Bulma's spine at the blatant malice in his voice. " I lost an _eighth_ of my northern armada today because of _your _incompetence, Vegeta. And what for? To start a war that was _not _yours to start?" His tail lashed out angrily behind him with every pronounced word.

Vegeta's face remained emotionless and his voice calm as he replied. "Lord Freiza, if I may, they opened fire first, was I supposed to just sit there and be annihilated?"

Bulma gasped when without any warning, Frieza's tail lashed out in front of him and whipped Vegeta across the face. Vegeta's head snapped to the side and his jaw clenched but he didn't move while blood ran down his cheek. "Don't speak!" Frieza screeched. "You will speak when I tell you to, not when you feel like it!"

Bulma saw the restraint it took for Vegeta not to react and she hated to see him so humbled before the monster. It was went against the grain of everything she knew about her prideful prince.

The tyrant seemed satisfied at Vegeta's lack of spirit and turned to Zarbon and the purple alien, a cruel smile forming on his dark lips. "I will leave it up to you two to decide a suitable punishment for Vegeta while I explain the situation to my father." With a final contemptuous glare at Vegeta, Frieza left, leaving him in the hands of the two aliens.

"What do you think Frieza meant by 'suitable punishment', Dodoria?" Zarbon's gold eyes glittered while Vegeta stared at them with open hatred. His body language told Bulma that this was not a situation he could get himself out of and his frustration rolled off him in waves.

The ugly purple alien -Dodoria, Bulma assumed- grinned and she had the sudden urge to kick him where it hurt, so she did. Of course, her foot just went through him and he just kept smiling, his beady eyes glinting in anticipation. "Maybe we should rip his tail from his spine."

Vegeta growled and wrapped his tail infinitesimally tighter around his waist as he dropped into his battle stance. "I'll rip your throat out if you so much as touch me, you freak."

Dodoria leered, stalking towards him, but paused when Zarbon spoke. "Without his tail, he cannot transform. As appealing as the idea is, our Lord would be most unhappy if we did that," Zarbon sniffed, put out by his master's orders.

Dodoria shrugged indifferently. "I'll just break every bone in his scrawny body until he begs for mercy then."

Bulma backed up against the wall when Vegeta suddenly powered up and rushed at Dodoria, his face a cold and deadly mask."You will_ never _hear me beg for mercy!" He cried as his fist connected with Dodoria's fat jaw, sending him crashing into Zarbon and they both went sprawling. Bulma let out a cheer at this but it died in her throat as they both landed deftly on their hands and sprung up on their feet and lunged back at him in full force.

She watched helplessly as they fought, two against one. Vegeta held his own for a while but even Bulma could tell they were toying with him, waiting for his energy to run out before starting their torture.

"No!" Bulma cried out when Zarbon finally got him into a stranglehold and Dodoria punched him while he was unable to defend himself. Bulma's anguish made her momentarily forget she couldn't do anything and she rushed at Dodoria. "Stop it, you cowards!" She yelled, throwing herself at him but she just passed through him like before and crashed into the wall.

_Damn it! _She cursed mentally as she slid down to the floor, realising there was nothing she could do. She heard Vegeta cry out in pain and frustration and she looked up just in time to see Zarbon break one of Vegeta's arms.

_No! I can't watch this! _Then Bulma realised that she didn't have to. She closed her eyes, remembering Vegeta's training and utilising it. It was hard to concentrate when her mate was being tortured just metres away but somehow, she managed. She felt his presence in her mind and she pushed against it as hard as she could. But it was different to when they had been training. Back then, it was just him prodding at her mind but now, it was as if his presence was surrounding her from all directions, almost suffocating. She gritted her teeth when she heard yet another of Vegeta's bones break but pushed it aside. _I can do this! _She thought with renewed determination and she pushed his presence away as forcefully as she could manage.

She felt as if an enormous burden had been lifted from her and opened her eyes, smiling in triumph as she stared at her familiar bedroom ceiling. The room was a dull grey colour, first light not quite yet broken over the horizon. She sighed in relief at being freed from the hopelessness that had overwhelmed her towards the end of her husband's dream.

"...Count on it." Bulma heard Vegeta mutter. She looked across at him and realised he was still asleep, his fists grasping the sheets. Knowing what he was dreaming, she knew she had to wake him up, though that was less dangerous said then done. Many times before she'd awoken to his mutterings or -more rarely- his thrashings and tried to wake him up but usually gave up, fearing for her safety.

This time, however, he seemed to be fairly restrained and she reached across to shake his shoulder. "Wake up!"

She gasped in pain as one of his hands shot up, grasping her wrist and not at all gently. She should have known better then to do try and shake him awake, he needed comfort, not violence. She whimpered in pain as she lent across and gently stroked his face. The lines on his forehead uncreased and his hold loosened a little but he remained asleep. Bulma continued, ignoring her pain until finally his eyes opened and stared blankly at the ceiling for a second before darting in her direction.

"You're crushing my wrist." She said through gritted teeth and he let go immediently. Bulma sighed, rubbing it gingerly. That was going to leave a bruise, but hey, at least it wasn't broken.

He didn't say sorry -that word just wasn't in his vocabulary- but she could tell he was. He sat up, the muscles in his back and shoulders tense.

"You should have just left me alone!" He growled suddenly, causing her to jump.

Bulma sat up angrily. "No, I shouldn't have! Do you think I enjoy watching you getting tortured? Or hearing you cry out in your sleep? No, I don't! I'd rather have a broken wrist then let you go through that."

His back still faced her, the scars covering it glowing in the faint light. He stood up, walking towards the doors that led to the balcony. "I have been going through that my entire life. If not for real then in my dreams. I can handle it."

Bulma looked over his proud stance. "No, you can't, Vegeta. That's why this whole thing's happening in the first place. You refuse my help, even after last night when you admitted to me that you needed it. I know I'm going to hear things I don't like but you know what? It doesn't matter, not in the long run."

He turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. Then to her surprise, he sighed, made his way to the bed and sat down next to her. "Stubborn woman," he muttered.

"Well, I'd have to be, to love a stubborn man like you." Bulma resisted the urge to lean over and kiss him, knowing it would not lead to conversation. Instead she crossed her legs in front of her, and lent back against the headboard. "You know, I don't condone killing, but it must have felt good to get your revenge on Zarbon and Dodoria."

He looked at her quickly, then across at the opposite wall. "At first it didn't, I was too consumed with the idea of killing Freiza, but afterwards, yes. Even now, I would not change it." He paused, a slight smile crossing his face. "You know, seeing you kick Dodoria was one of the most amusing things I have ever seen. It more than makes up for the rest of the dream."

"Wait! You can see me in there?"

"Of course I can, you were in _my _mind, after all."

Bulma nodded. That made sense. Silence fell between them and all that could be heard was the occasional bird chirping. Bulma caught a stray thought from Vegeta and turned to him sharply. "Zucana wasn't the only saiyan you killed?"

"No. There were four others. I don't even remember their names or even what they looked like. Freiza made it a hobby to track down any loose ends for me to _take care_ of." A pained looked flitted through his eyes.

"You did what you had to."

"No, I did what I had to to survive. After Zucana, it was easy. After every one, it got easier because, every time, I became more like the bastard who forced my hand." He became silent again, his face expressionless. Bulma _hated _that look.

"How about Nappa?"

"At that point, I didn't care. He meant nothing more to me then those damn saibamen."

Bulma shuddered at the memory of that day. The day when her whole world had been ripped apart. Her friends, her boyfriend, her best friend, either had lost their lives or were in hospital for weeks afterwards. Even little Gohan...

"That day I can not regret," he said, picking up on her thoughts. "They were all warriors, the possibilty that they could die was always there, no matter what they tell themselves."

"What about Gohan, Vegeta? He was _five years old_!"

"And yet he was the second most powerful warrior there. There is no honour in beating children, but he had more resilience and power then most of those _warriors_ combined. No, I don't regret that."

Bulma stared at her mate's profile through the growing light. A part of her understood, how could it not? But remembering the feeling when Trunks had fled to the battle with Majin Buu, she couldn't find it in herself to agree. Children, no matter how powerful, should not have to face the burden of facing life or death at the hands of some monster.

Vegeta turned to look at her then, and with a jolt she realised why. He could not regret that day because Gohan had shown a strength which Vegeta himself had to bear his entire childhood -if you could call it that.

Bulma's face softened as she looked into her mate's eyes. _I understand._

Thinking back on the dream again, she asked, "Why did you dream about Radditz?"

"They aren't dreams, woman," he said, exasperated. "They are memories! If I could control them, we wouldn't be having this problem."

Bulma blushed in embarrassment.

"And you pride yourself on being the smartest in the universe!" He scoffed, a smirk now clearly visible in the morning light.

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me!" She retorted, crossing her arms.

Vegeta looked like he was going to argue further, but then the bedroom door burst open and Bra came rushing in.

"Are you ok, momma? I heard..." She paused as her eyes settled on her father. "Daddy!" So fast that Bulma couldn't follow it, Bra was in the bed hugging Vegeta. "I missed you so much, daddy!" The blue haired girl cried into his chest, not showing any signs of letting go anytime soon. But then as suddenly as it started, she stopped and looked up at his bewildered face, her little blue eyes narrowing. "You left." With that, she punched him in the stomach. "Don't do it again."

Bulma watched as Bra hugged him again, the tears resuming.

Vegeta looked at his mate as he rubbed his stomach, clearly surprised that Bra's punch had actually hurt.

"I told you she missed you," was all that she said.

* * *

AN: Oh, I went back and edited the entire story. I changed Bulla to Bra (apparently that's her _rea_l name) and fixed a lot of the punctuation. I also changed a few lines, it's probably not enough to go back and check, but it makes me feel better.

Thanks for your patience, guys, and please review!


End file.
